Firing mechanism for multiple guns



March 25, 1941. E. A. DUGIED I v FIRING MECHANISM PPR MULTIPLE GUNS 8Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct.

March 25, 1941. E. A. DUGIED FIRING MECHANISM FDR MULTIPLE GUNS 8Sheets-Sheet 2 Marh 25, 1941.

no 5m i f If {I E. A. DUGIED 2,236,335

FIRING MECHANISM FOR MULTIPLE GUNS Filed Oct. 16, 1937 8 Shee ts-Sheet 5March 25, 1941. E. A. DUGIED FIRING MECHANISM FOR MULTIPLE GUNS FiledOct. 16, 1937 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 March 25, 1941. A, DUGIED FIRING uscmmxsuFOR MULTIPLE was r .v M d W y. if m. m W "W m r 8 4 4 w m 45 March 25,1941. E. A. DUGIEVD FIRING MECHANISM FOR MULTIPLE GUN S 6 t e e h s e ea 5 n9 5 9 m 2 9 l 6 1 L5 W d in; l i F FIRING MECHANISM FOR MULTIPLEGUNS Filed Oct. 16, 1937 8 Sheets-Sheet 'T March 25, 1941. DUGlED v2,236,335

FIRING MECHANISM FOR MULTIPLE GUNS Filed Oct. .16, 1937 8 Sheets-Sheet 8[rwenl'br UMMM? Patented Mar. 25, 1941 H H Z,23t,335

2,236,335 Frame MscnANIsr/r roaMUL'rIrLE GUNS Courbevoie, France, as-

Appiication October 16, 1937, Serial No. 169,51 In France May 5, 1937 I7 Claims.

The present invention relates to a firing mechanism for gun carriagesfor multiple machine guns which enables the firearms to be actuatedeithersimultane'ously, selectively or alternately.

The firing mechanism according to the inven tion essentially comprises arod which is transverse to the firearms and is displaceable along itsaxis and which comprises, for each firearm, a loose lever which isarranged in front of the trigger of the corresponding firearm and isfixed transversely and a key adapted to engage in a groove of the saidlever, the various keys being suitably spaced on the rod and being ofappropriate length so that for each longitudinal position of the saidkey there corresponds the fixing of any one orseveral of said levers tothe rod, the others remaining loose, in such a manher that when in knownmanner, the said rod is operated angularly, only the levers which havebeen secured to said rod control the firing mechanism of thecorresponding firearms.

.Another object of the invention is the combination with the abovedescribed mechanism of a. device enabling the control of a firearm to bemade by the adjacent firearm.

This further feature is essentially characterised by the fact that oneof the firearms actswhen it is displaced on a lever adapted to beactuated in turn by a second lever acting on the trigger of the adjacentfirearm, the connection between these two levers being suchthat when thefirst lever pivots in one direction under the action of the firearm .inthe course of its recoil movement it has no action on the second leverwhereas, on the contrary, when it pivots in the opposite direction underthe action of the firearm returning to battery, it actuates this secondlever and consequently the trigger.

The second lever acts on the trigger of the the arm to be operatedthrough theinstrumentality of a nose which can occupy an operativeposition in'which it is adapted to act on the said trigger and aretracted position in which it has no action on said-triggen Othercharacteristics and peculiarities of the invention will become apparentfrom the ensuing description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings which show, diagrammatically and simply by way of example, oneembodiment of the invention. In said drawings:

Figure l is an elevational and moreover very ,diagrammatical view of thewhole gun carriage.

Figures 2 2a is the corresponding plan View.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the firing mechanism for the two machineguns.

Figure 4 is a View in section along the line IV-IV of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a view in section along the line V-V of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a view in section along the line VIVI of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a section along the line VIIVII of Figure 3.

Figure 8 is a plan view in section along the line VIII-VIII of Figure 4.

The gun carriage according to the invention essentially comprises apyramid composed of three feet formed by two trails I which can beopened and one trail 2 which can be raised. These three trails arepivotedon the gun carriage body 4 which can thus rest on said pyramidcomposed of three feet (position shown in Figure 1). When thus placed onthe ground, the gun carriage is suitable for anti-aircraft firing. Fortransport, the two trails l which can be opened are closed again,whereas the raisable trail '2 is raised; the gun carriage can then bemounted on two wheels, as will be described hereinafter. If it isdesired to carry out anti-tank firing, it suffices to unhook theraisable trail 2, the gun carriage then resting, for said firing, on theone hand on the rear trails, and on the other hand fonthe two wheels.

Said two wheels are independent of each other, each of same. beingmounted on the gun carriage body in the following manner: a block 5 ismounted on the gun carriage body through the intermediary of deformablehinged parallelograms each formed by two levers 6 which are pivoted at 1on the gun carriage body and at 8 on the block 5. The suspension springis formed by a leaf spring 9. In the block 5 a bore H] is provided and.ity is in said bore that the axle of the wheel is inserted for transportor for antitank firing. Said wheel can therefore move verticallyresponsive to shocks duringtransport and each of said wheels iscompletely independent of the other.

, To pass fromthe anti-aircraft firing position (positionof Figure .1)to the position on wheels it suffices, without unlocking the raisabletrail 2, to lift said trail to bring the bores I81 to a sufficientheight to enable the wheels to be placed in position; this having beendone, the trail 2 which is unlocked at H, is brought into itsraisedposition in which it can be held by appropriate hooking means.Nothin'gthen remains but to close the two-rear trails again-f'Thetransformation from usual manner with a vertical bore in which ismounted the pivoting support I3. The rotation of said pivoting supportabout the vertical axis,

for traverse aiming, is controlled in known manner, by gears operated bymeans of the traversing wheel I4. A disengaging lever l5 enables thistraversing mechanism to be released so that the pivoting support can bequickly moved about the vertical axis, a gunner acting for this purposedirectly on said support.

The latter furthermore carries a seat It for the gunner, a foot-rest I!and a pedal l8 controlling the firing mechanism which Will be describedhereinafter. On the pivoting support I3 is mounted a cradle 29 in such amanner that it can be elevated about a horizontal trunnion 2i, and onsaid cradle are mounted two machine guns M arranged parallel with eachother, each of same being mounted on the cradle with the possibility ofrecoil, brakes 22 damping the recoil movement. The elevation control ofthe cradle is obtained by means of a hand wheel l9 carried by thepivoting support on the same side as the traversing wheel M. In order tocompensate the preponderance of the weight of the cradle towards thefront, said cradle is balanced by two spring-pressed pistons, generallydesignated by 23, carried by the pivoting cradle and connected by acable 24 to a fixed point 25 of the pivoting support.

The firing mechanism according to the invention is shown in plan inFigure 3 and in different sections, and on a larger scale in Figures 4to 8.

Each of the two machine guns M carries a sear 26 and a safety lever 27which is adapted to lock the corresponding trigger (Figures 4 and 8).These are moreover the only parts carried by each of the two machineguns, all the other parts of the firing mechanism being carried by thesupport of the machine guns, thereby permitting of a greatsimplification of the guns.

In the embodiment shown, the firing mechanism provided for the twomachine guns, permits at will: either of the actuation of the right handgun alone, or of the actuation of the left hand gun alone, or of theactuation of both guns simultaneously, or again of the alternateactuation of said two guns, one firing in the period between two shotsof the other, this being in order to distribute the shots firedregularly in time.

Said firing mechanism essentially comprises an actuating rod 28 to whichan angular movement can be imparted by means of the firing pedal I8through the instrumentality of any appropriate known movementtransmission means. A longitudinal movement can also be imparted to saidrod by means of a lever 29 which can pivot about a fixed pin 30 (Figure5). The pivotal movement of said lever 29 is limited by a finger 3|engaged in a groove 32 of said lever. On the latter are rigidly securedtwo fingers 33 engaged in a circular groove of the rod 28. Said rod 28can thus be brought, by operating said lever 29, into three differentpositions respectively designated by position G, position GD andposition D. The locking in each of said positions is obtained by aspring plunger 34 (Figure 5) acting on a lever 35 of which the nose 36engages in one of the three notches 31 of the support.

On said rod 28 is freely mounted, for each of the two machine guns, alever 33 (Figure 4) provided with an inner groove 39. The rod 28 itselfcarries a key for each of the machine guns (see Figure 3).

When the rod 28 is in the medial position, that is to say in theposition GD, shown in Figure 3, said two keys 40 are respectivelyengaged in the two grooves 39 of the two levers 38 which are thus bothrigidly coupled for rotation with the rod 28. Under these conditions,when said rod 28 is angularly displaced by means of the pedal N3, thetwo levers 38 move angularly; each of same then acts (see Figure 4) onthe trigger 4| of the corresponding machine gun, which trigger itselfactuates the sear 26 and consequently fires the gun. The two machineguns are thus actuated simultaneously. If the rod 28 is brought into theleft hand position, the left hand key 40 definitely remains in thegroove 39 of the left hand lever 33 since the hub of said lever andconsequently the groove is of substantially double the length of the key40. Said left hand lever 38 therefore definitely remains coupled forrotation with the rod 28. On the contrary, the right hand key 40 of therod 28 has become disengaged from the groove 39 of the right hand lever38, so that the latter is no longer coupled with the rod 28. Under theseconditions, when the latter is actuated angularly, only the left handgun is actuated. Conversely, and for the same reasons, if the rod 28 isbrought into its right hand longitudinal position, only the right handmachine gun will be actuated. 1

The mechanism according to the invention also enables the alternatefiring of the two machine guns to be obtained. For this purpose, the rod28 is brought into the left hand position so that only the left handmachine gun is actuated by said rod. It is this left hand machine gunwhich, in its turn, automatically controls the firing for the right handmachine gun, so that this latter fires in the period between twoconsecutive shots of the left hand gun. For this purpose, on a fixed pin42a is mounted a sleeve 42 on which is keyed a lever 43 carryinga rod 44which can occupy either the position shown in Figure 3, in which theleft hand machine gun does not act on the right hand machine gun, or aposition in which said rod 44 is completely pushed towards the right,its end collar 45 being in, that case opposite the trigger 4! of theright hand machine gun. On the pin 42a is also mounted a sleeve 46 towhich is secured a nose 4! which is constantly retracted to its meanposition by a spring 48 and which is in the path of a part 49(see'Figure 6) which moves with the left hand machine gun. The sleeve 46can drive the sleeve 42, but only when it moves in one direction fromits mean' position, by means of the arrangement shown in section inFigure '7. j

The operation takes place under the following conditions:

When the rod 28 is .angularly displaced, the left hand machine gun isactuated and fires its first shot after which said gun reooails. Thepart 49 moves the nose 4! and consequently the sleeve 45 in acounter-clockwise direction (Figure 7), the sleeve 42 consequently notbeing driven. On the contrary, when the return to battery movement ofsaid left hand machine gun takes place, the part 49 actuates the nose 41and consequently the sleeve 46 in a clockwise direction. The sleeve 42is then angularly displaced together with the rod 44 of which the collar45 then actuates the trigger M of the right hand gun which willtherefore fire between two consecutive shots of the left hand gun.

It is moreover obvious that the invention has only been described andillustrated herein in an explanatory and no way limitative manner andthat modifications of detail can be made therein without altering itsspirit.

1. In combination, independently mounted guns, shiftable firing meansnormally interlocked with both guns to fire the same simultaneously,means to shift said shiftab-le means to release one of the guns from theinterlocked relation, alterna'te firing means for the released gunnormally out of firing relation to said gun, manual-11ysettable means toplace said alternate firing means in firing relation to the releasedgun, and cooperating means between the released gun and said alternatefiring means to cause firing of the released gun consequent upon thefiring of the unreleased gun.

2. In an automatic firing mechanism for plural guns wherein means areprovided for locking the guns in a simultaneous firing relation, suchmeans being shii table to release either gun for individual firing, andin which alternate firing mechanism is provided for the released gun,such alternate firing mechanism being normally out of operative positionwith respect to said released gun, manually-sett-able means forming partof said alternate firing mechanism and being movable and positionedrelatively to .the released gun whereby to be set in a potentiallyoperative position with respect to the released gun, and means providedby the recoil and return-to-battery movement of the fired gun foractuating said alternate firing means causing said manually-settablemeans to actuate the firing mechanism of the released gun;

3. In combination, a plurality of guns, means for firing the first gunin order irrespective of the second gun, and alternate firing meanscomprising driver and follower members rotatably mounted adjacent oneanother, :a nose on the driver member, means to y-ieldably maintain saiddrive member and nose in a neutral intermediate position, a part on thefirst gun movable on recoil and return-to-battery movements intostriking engagement with said nose whereby to rotate said driver member,a connection between said driver and follower members for rotating thefollower member only on movement of the nose and driver member asactuated on the return-tobattery movement of the first gun, a leverfixed upon said follower member, a rod movably carried by said lever andhaving manual means to set the rod in retracted or projected positions,a collar carried by said rod and movable thereby into and out ofpotentially operative positions with respect to the firing mechanism ofthe second gun, and yieldable means for yieldably holding said lever andcollar in a non-actuating firing position.

4. In combination, first and second guns, means for firing the firstgun, a projection on said first gun, driver and follower membersrotatably mounted adjacent one another, a, projection on said drivermember lying in the pa h of movement of the first-named projection andadapted to be angul-arly moved with said driver member on the recoil andthe return-to-battery movements of the first gun, yield-able means forreleasably maintaining said second projection in a neutral position, aconnection between said driver and follower members for causing rotationof the follower member only upon rotation of the driver member asactuated upon the return-to-battery movement of the first gun, a leverfixed on said follower member, adjustable means carried by said leverand movable into and out of potential firing positions with respect tothe firing mechanism of the second gun, and yieldable means to hold thelever and said last-named means releasably in non-actuating firingcondition until the follower member is rotated by its driver member.

5. In combination, plural guns, means for firing the first gun in firingorder, an angularly movable lever adjacent the firing mechanism of thesecond gun, a firing actuating member carried adiustably by said leverand movable into and out of firing relation with the firing mechanism ofthe second gun, means for yieldably holding said lever and member in anon-actuating firing relation, means coupled to said lever for angularlymoving the same, and means on the first gun cooperating with saidlast-named means whereby to actuate salid lever and its memberconsequent upon the firing of the first gun.

6. In combination, first and second guns, means for firing the firstgun, a projection moved with said first gun, a second projection in thepath of and moved by said first projection both in the recoil and theretum-to-batteiy movements of the first gun, means for yieldablymaintaining said second projection in a neutral position, actu atingmeans normally out of firing relation to the firing mechanism of thesecond gun for actuating such firing mechanism, means for manuallysetting said last named means in said firing relation, and means formoving actuating means to cause actuation of the firing mechanism of thesecond gun only when the first projection moves the second projection onthe return-tobattery movement of the first gun.

'7. A device for firing multiple guns comprising a trigger for each ofthe guns, means for manually controlling one of said triggers whereby tofire a first gun, a sleeve rot-atably mounted behind said first gun, alever secured to said sleeve adjacent the trigger of a second gun, :arod slidably mounted on said lever for movement into and out of aposition wherein to contact and actuate the trigger for said second gunwhen said lever is moved, means biasing said lever to a position awayfrom the trigger of said second gun, a drive sleeve mounted rot'altablyadjacent the first named sleeve, a connection between said sleeves forlocking the sleeves together when the drive sleeve is moved in onedirection and disconnecting the first sleeve from th drive sleeve whenthe latter is moved in an opposite angular direction, a projection onsaid drive sleeve, means to yieldably hold said projection {and sleevein a neutral position, and means moved by said first gun to strike saidprojection when the first gun moves responsive to firing, whereby whensaid rod is in trigger-actuating position the motion oi the first gunfires the second gun.

EUGENE ALBERT DUGIED.

